Turbine.



G. B. COLLIER.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1912.

1,050,918. Patented Jan.21, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

G. B. COLLIER.

TURBINE.

APPLIGATION FILED MAR. 20, 1912.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

G. B. COLLIER.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1912.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

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G. B. COLLIER.

TURBINE.

APPLICATION FILED MAR. 20, 1912.

Patented J an. 21, 1913.

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crime STATES PATENT eerie E.

GiUY B. COLLIER, 0F KINDERHOOK, NEW YORK.

TURBINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 21, 1913.

application filed March 20,1912. Serial No. 684,929.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GUY B. COLLIER, a

bines, and more particularly to the construc: 7

lion and organization of ,a succession of parts to distribute theelastic fluid to a rotor or a succession of rotors.

Among other objects, the invention is designed to utilize the elasticfluidwith the highest efiiciency and minimum loss by features simple inconstruction and of durable material.

'The character of the invention may be best understood by reference tothe following description of an illustrative embodiment thereof shown inthe accompanying drawings, wherein:

Figure 1 is a vertical axial section of an illustrative steam turbineembodying the invention comprising a succession of pure-impulse stagesand pure-reaction stages; Fig. 2 is an end elevation of Fig/ 1; Fig. 3is a vertical section taken on line 3--% of Fig. 1, parts being-brokenaway to disclose an arrangement of buckets and guides; Fig. 4 on anenlarged scale is a sectional detail of rotor buckets and guides shownin Fig. 2; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the curved line 5-5 of Fig. 4;Fig. 6 is a sectional detail of rotor buckets and a primary guide shownin Fig. 4; and Figs. 7, 8 and 9 are enlarged details of blades andguides employed in the illustrative reactionstages shown in Fig. 1.Referring now to Fig. 1, the illustrative construction there showncomprises primary mpulse stages having a rotor 11, secondary impulsestages having a rotor 13, and a succession of reaction stages having arotor drum 15. The rotors 11 13 and 15 are fast on a rotor shaft 17supported in journals 19. The two rotors 11 and 13 of the impulse stagesare inclosed preferably in separate casings, as for instance casings 21and 23.

For convenience, the construction of the lmpulse stages will be firstdescribed and then the reaction stages will be described and explainedin their cooperative relation to the impulse stages.

The initial distribution of steam to the rotor 11 preferably takes placeat a plurality of points simultaneously, as for example, through nozzles25' (Figs. 2 and 4) secured to the interlor of the casing 23 andreceivmg steam from an annular steam' chest 27 (Fig. 1); the latter inturn receiving its supply from an inlet 29. Any suitably proportionednozzles may be used and their proper inclination relative to the bucketsmay be readily predetermined by one skilled in the art, in accordancewith the general requirements which the turbine is designed to fulfil.The rotor llis provided with buckets 31 formed in the periphery of therotor and havingrounded bottoms, and the fluid stream is directed towardthe portions or walls of the buckets at one side of the rotor andwhirled transversely across the rotor and out at the opposite side ofsaid rotor.

To recover the steam initially applied to the rotor by thenozzles,stator guides such for example as 33 (Figs. 2, 4, 5 and 6) are provided,each comprising a wall 35, a partition 37 and a curved partition 39. Thelatter in some instances may extend throughout the passage formedbetween the wall 35 and the partition 37.

The guide 33 while disposed peripherally beyond the rotor and in the.same plane with the rotor, is offset from the nozzle 25 adjacent theretoand is preferably located so that the end of the curved partition 39nearest the rotor is on aline about in the middle of the nozzle.delivery mouth. Therefore, the steam delivered from the nozzle to abucket at one side thereof will whirl around and he delivered from theopposite side of the bucket into the guide passage between par" titions37 and 39. This passage will receive the portion of the steam streamleaving the bucket with greatest force, while the passage between thewall 33. and partition 39 will receive the portion of the steam streamof less force. The provision of the curved partition 39 prevents thesteam streams of different character from crossing or interfering withone another in a manner such as would tend to retard or detract from theefficiency thereof' V It has been attempted heretofore to practise thegeneral idea of recovering the steam initially applied to the rotor andthereafter reapplying it, but the manner in which this has been essayedprior to this invention has given rise to serious loss in efliciency anddifliculty of construction which is substantially obviated in aconstruction embodying this invention.

The steam stream on leaving a bucket spreads more or less in a formsimulating that of a brush with flaring bristles. This spreading of thestream will extend not only peripherally of the rotor but alsotransversely thereof. In order that this flaring steam stream may becaught and utilized, it is desirable that the guide have a -Wide mouthof suitable cross section and form to receive substantially the entiresteam issuing from the buckets. To this end the illus trative guideshown herein has a total inlet opening of suitable cross section andform suflicient to receive the steam brush referred to.

It is not only desirable that the steam issuing from the buckets be thusreceived, but also that the steambe delivered back to the rotor in asuitable form and cross section to pass to the buckets in substantiallythe same manner as exists with the steam delivered from the nozzle. Tothis end the total guide passage is notof the same width or crosssection at its introduction end as at its receiving end, but on thecontrary is made sufllciently less to cause the steam to enter thebuckets in a most etlicient manner As a result, the steam introduced by,the guide into the buckets has its stream lines substantially parallelto the entrance walls of the buckets, and the steam whirls around thebottoms of the buckets and across the same to the opposite sides thereofwithout objectionable crossing or mutual obstruction of stream lines.The steam thus recovered andapplied to the rotor buckets may be againrecovered and reapplied to the rotor as many times as practicable.Herein, a second guide 41 (Figs. 2 and 4) is provided which may besimilar in construction and operation to the guide 33 described but withthis difl'erencethat the passages of the guide 41 are larger to providefor the lower velocity of steam therein. As shown herein, the curvedpartition. which divides the guides into two steam receiving passages isnot extended to the end of the outlet of the guide, but terminates somedistance therefrom, although in some instances such partition may beextended to the end of said outlet substantially in the manner shownwith respect to the primary guide shown in Fig. 6.

The steam delivered from the outlet of the secondary guide 41 isperipherally presented in a narrowed stream to one side of the rotor,sweeps or whirls transversely across the rounded bottoms of the bucketsto the opposite side of the rotor and is discharged into the spacewithin the casing 23 and thence conducted by a pipe 45 to an annularsteam chest 47 (Fig. 1) which supplies steam to nozzles for the rotor 13of the secondary stages.

The construction and arrangement of the rotor, nozzles, and guides inthe stator of the secondary impulse stages may be similar to thatalready described in connection with the initial stage. The number ofnozzles or guides, or both,- may be varied Within practi cable limits asdesired. The nozzles and guides of the secondary stages are preferablyof greater dimensions than those of the first stages, as will beunderstood by those skilled in the'art,to accommodate the larger volumeof the steam.

The steam may be finally taken from the buckets of the secondary impulsestages through a pipe 49 which leads to the reaction stages to bedescribed.

When the stream has once been introduced to the buckets by the initialnozzle 25 itsutfers a loss in relative velocity while passing throughthe buckets so that the absolute velocity when the stream is taken oilthe buckets and enters the guide 33 is less than the initial absolutevelocity. Consequently, the stream when reapplied to the buckets by saidguidehas less absolute velocity than it had at the nozzle. Therefore,the preferred embodiment of the invention has a steam guide 33 arrangedto deliver a steam stream to the buckets at a less introduction anglethan that of the steam stream entering the buckets from thenozzle. Inlike manner, the successively acting guide 4:1 is arranged to introducea steam stream at a still less 1 5 introduction angle corresponding to afurther loss of velocity of the steam in passing from the guide 33through the buckets to the guide 41. As stated, there may be as manyguides as pract-icable'acting successively to take the steam off of oneside of the rotor and reapply it in narrowed stream at the same side ofthe rotor.

In taking the steam from the buckets the reception angle is greater fora relatively 11-5 low absolute velo'city just as the steam entersthe'guide than for a higher velocity. Accordingly, the preferredembodiment of this invention has the inlet end of the guide 33 arrangedto take the steam stream from the buckets at a reception angleappropriate to the prevailing absolute steam velocity which is less thanthe initial velocity at the introduction of the stream to the buckets bythe nozzle.

The inlet end of the secondary guide 41 is arranged to take the steamfrom the buckets at a greater reception angle than that of the guide 33appropriate to the fall inabsolute velocity since the last preceding 1n1' troduction of the stream from the buckets to the guide 33. Similarsuccessive increases in the described reception angles of successiveguides are preferably provided for if more than the specificallydescribed guides a re mployed.

ing end thrusts.

To recapitulate, the specificimpulse stages shown in the drawings areconstructed and arranged to apply and reapply the elastic fluid innarrowed streams to-the buckets at progressively decreasing angles; andto take off steam from the buckets at progressively increasing angles.Such an arrangement contributes to reduce losses from shock and eddiesand from other causes, and also provides for. applying the steam ineffective streams to the buckets at increasingly eifect've angles as theabsolute velocity of the steam decreases; hence ontributing much to theimprovement in action and reduction of steam consumption.

Referring now-to the reaction aspect of the invention, the specificembodiment shown in the drawings comprises reaction stages, utilizingthe rotor drum 15, referred to fast on the same shaft 17 which carriesthe impulse rotors-11 and 13. The stator of the reaction stagescomprises a casing 51 supporting guides 53 which are arrange alternatelywith blades 55 of the rotors 15. Communicating with the pipe 49 whichleads from the second impulse stage is an annular chamber 57 which opensin the direct-ion of the axis of the shaft 17 toward the entrance guides53 of the first reaction stage. "The chamber 57 is formed between aportion of the casing 51 and a piston 59 fast upon the;

shaft 17 adjacent one end of the rotor drum 15. A wall of the chamber 57is formed by a piston adjacent the piston 59 and also fast on the shaft17. With this arrangement the steam. admitted to the chamber 57 exertssubstantially balancing opposite axial. thrusts upon the blades 55 andthe piston 61, thereby more or less completely eliminat- From the firstgroup ofreaction stages, which may be desi ated by A, the steam entersan annular chamber 63 formed between a portion of the casing 51 and anenlargement of the drum 15, from which the steam enters the second groupof reaction stages, which may be designated as B. The chamber 63communicates by a passage 65 with another annular chamber 67formedbetween a portion of the casing 51 and a third piston 69 largerthan the preceding pistons, adjacent the piston 61 and also fast uponthe shaft 17. Steam in the chamber 63, passage 65 and chamber 67 exertssubstantially balancing opposite axial thrusts upon the piston 69 andthe blades 72 of the second group of reaction stages. From the secondreact-ion group B the steam passes into a chamber 7 3' having an exit tothe condenser. To conduct away such leakage as may occur around thepistons there is provided a pipe 75 which leads to the chamber 73.

Desirable constructions of guides and blades for the reaction stages areshown in Figs. 7, 8 and 9. The mean radii of the blades aresubstantially uniform throughout each reaction group, but it will benoted that the radial dimensions of the rotor blades increase from theentrance end toward the exit end. For instance, as shown in Fig.7, theblade 55 may have its radial dimension increased from entrance to exitsymmetrically with respect to the general direction of movement of thesteam, or as 30 shown in Fig. 8, the dimension may be increased radiallyoutward only.

By the arrangement described, the transverse dimensions between adjacentblades may remain substantially uniform if desired 35 from entrance toexit'while at the same time permitting the axial clear cross-sectionalarea (that is, the area in a plane perpendicular to the axis) of therotor blade passages to increase from inlet to exit by reason of theincrease in the r adial dimension.

It is preferred that the guide passages between adjacent guideblades besubstantially uniform from entrance to exit in cross sectional areaperpendicular to the direction of flow through said passages asindicated in Fig. 9, whereby to all intents and purposes velocity andpressure changes are confined to the rotor blades to the exclusion ofthe guides so that the groups A and B operate by pure reaction.Throughouteach group A and B the successive blade passages preferablyincrease in cross sectional area to accommodate the increasing volume ofsteam stream passing therethrough.

Vhile as shown herein, the high and low pressure impulse stages areconnected in series with the reaction stages it will be understood thatthe impulse stages might in parallel be connected with the reactionstages.

The combination of impulse stages with reaction stages as describedconstitutes a highly desirable construction since the energy of thesteam is utilized to .a very advantageous degree.

The high pressure steam ma be best dis tributed, utilized and controllefor varying conditions in impulse stages where it can be directed to therotor at as many difierent points as desired which may be remote fromthe axis of the rotor. Owing to the mechanical advantage and torque thusobtained, high efficiency results. The low pressure steam, on the otherhand, may be best distributed tothe reaction stages locate'don a drum oflarge radius and with full peripheral admission since the steam hasexpanded to a large volume, and obviously greater power may be obtainedfrom a large volume of steam at low pressure invention Without limitingthe same thereto,

what I claim as new and desire to Letters Patent is: I

L'In an elastic fluid turbine, the combisecure by nation of impulsestages comprising a rotor,

means to introduce the elastic fluid initially to the rotor, and a guideto recover the fluid initially so introduced and to reintroduce it tothe rotor in a direction more nearly perpendicular to a radius of therotor at the pointof introduction than the direction of initialintroduction of the fluid; subsequently acting reaction stages; andmeans to receive elastic fluid from the initial impulse stages andintroduce it to said reaction stages, the latter having provisionwhereby substantially all pressure changes occur within the moving bladepassages. 2. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of impulsestages comprisinga rotor; means to introduce the elastic fluid initiallyto the rotor; a plurality of successively-acting means to recover thefluid initially so introduced at pro'gressively-increasing receptionangles; pure reaction stages having provlsion whereby substantially allpressure changes occur within the moving blade passages; and means toconduct the fluidfrom said impulse stages to said reaction stages.

In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a rotor: means tointroduce the elastic fluid initially to the rotor; and a plurality ofsuccessively-acting means parallel to the plane of the rotor to recoverthe fluid oa ers initially so introduced and to reapply it in narrowedstreams at progressively-decreasing introduction angles. I

4. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combina tion of a rotor; means tointroduce the elastic fluid initially to the rotor; and a plurality ofsuccessively-acting means parallel to the plane of the rotor to recoverthe fluid initially so introduced at progressively-increasing angles andto reapply it in narrowed streams at progressively-decreasingintroduction angles.

5. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a rotor; means tointroduce the clastic fluid initially to the rotor; a plurality ofsuccessively-acting means in planes parallel to the plane of the rotorto recover the fluid initially so introduced at progressively-increasingangles and reapply it to said rotor; and subsequentlyncting reactionstages having provision whereby substantially all pressure changesoccur- Within the moving blade passages.

6. In an elastic fluid turbine, the combination of a rotor havingperipheral buckets opening tangentially "and formed with roundedbottoms; means initially to introduce and direct elastic fluid into saidbuckets on one side thereof whereby the fluid is whirled within thebuckets and discharged backwardly from the opposite side thereof:

and guide means for recovering the fluid initially so introduced andreapplying it in narrowed streams at progressively decreasingintroduction angles, said guide means having plural passages forseparating steam streams of different velocities.

Intestimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in thepresence of two subscribing witnesses.

GUY B. COLLIER.

Wi tn esses HARRY T. l/VILLIAMS, EVERETT S. EMERYK

